Close
As part of the EDI annual report 2022-23, the University of Sunderland shows how they have supported race equality.
In October it was Black History Month, where we celebrated black culture and history on campus.
Our Students' Union and University of Sunderland Chaplain, Chris Howson, organised a selection of films to raise awareness of historical and contemporary struggles, celebrate the accomplishments of Black individuals, and to promote some comedic relief. Over 300 students gathered to watch Judas & The Black Messiah, The Nutty Professor, and Hidden Figures.
Dr Floor Christie-de Jong, Dr Olugbenga Oyeniyi, John Kabuye, and Professor Jonathan Ling raised awareness of their study that aims to highlight the risk of prostate cancer in Black men and encourages early diagnosis.
Black men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer compared to white men, and 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease. Despite this, previous research from Prostate Cancer Research found that only a quarter (24%) of black men were aware of this increased risk.
The study has been awarded £157,688 in funding as part of charity Prostate Cancer Research's racial disparities research programme, aimed at addressing the health inequalities in prostate cancer.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Justine Gillespie, joined three students from the University to discuss the importance of Black History Month. This included the SU's Equality and Diversity Officer, Irish, the President of the Nigerian Society, Evelyn, and Folasade, who runs a family group for international students.
Our Students' Union have hosted several events throughout the year to help bring together different communities. We have a number of societies dedicated to bringing together students from similar backgrounds to share their experiences while at university. They also work closely with the REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) staff network to implement change in the University.
Find out more about our societies on the Students' Union website.
We also started a new process for recruiting our Student Ambassadors. This allows a fairer recruitment process that more accurately represents our student body. The number of BAME Student Ambassadors has increased from 23% in 2018 to 35% in 2022.
The Global Food Festival, organised by the University’s REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) Network, the Students’ Union and Team Sunderland, took place at CitySpace at City Campus and included an array of music, dancing and entertainment.
The festival is based on the concept that food unites everyone, bringing people together by celebrating diversity through a common love of tasty and nutritious food. The event encompassed both equality and inclusion, as 570 staff and students from a range of diverse backgrounds and cultures shared cuisines from across the world.
Find out more about what happened at our Global Food Festival 2023.
In January, 150 students gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The Students' Union's newly formed Chinese, Malaysian and Korean Societies held a special event at CitySpace to ring in the Year of the Rabbit.
Students had the chance to connect with others from the Asia-Pacific, enjoying authentic food dishes, traditional games, calligraphy, performers and much more. There was also a traditional lion dance and craft activities for students to take part in.
Find out more about our Lunar New Year celebrations.
In October, over 250 students celebrated Nigerian Independence Day at an event led by our Nigerian Student Society, with food, comedy, and a quiz.
In November, 360 students celebrated India Day with drummers, dancers, and traditional food to recognise our Indian community.
In February, 150 students attended our Bollywood Night at CitySpace, hosted by our Malaysian, Indian and Asian & Arab societies.
In March, 150 students attended a cultural celebration of Africa Day, with music from an African band, dancing and traditional cuisine.
Twice a year there is a football match between a team of University staff and our Nigerian Society. The first is held at the start of the academic year to encourage new members of the society, with a rematch later in the year.
This year saw the biggest turn out, with our University team consisting of 10 players and the Nigerian Team with 15. The Nigerian Society also brought traditional Nigerian food which they shared amongst everyone at the venue, including local residents.
In March, Fedash Consultancy Limited teamed up with our International Office to present the Awards for International Students and Icons within the Black Community in Sunderland 2023.
The awards were presented to students and members of the general public who have shown acts of leadership, courage, innovation, commitment, and excellence. It's organised as a way to show gratitude and appreciation to the Black community, while offering a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate their achievements.
'The costs and benefits of international Higher Education students to the UK' reveals the growing importance of international students to local economies throughout the UK.
Read more about the benefits of international study.
The University of Sunderland is continuing to prove it is not just life-changing for students in the north-east, as the University’s Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Sir David Bell proved on his recent visit to Sunderland’s Hong Kong campus.
Read more about Sir David Bell's visit to Hong Kong.
Sir David Bell visited South Shields FC to find out more about the club’s exciting new partnership with the University, which aims to give aspiring footballers from around the world a chance to find success both on and off the field.
Read more about the partnership with South Shields FC.
With the increasing diversity of our staff and students, we developed a Cultural Competency Toolkit to support personal development and increase staff ability to understand and interact effectively with people from other cultures.
The toolkit contains sections including what is cultural competency, why it's important, and other training resources such as videos and student stories. It will continue to be updated with new information over time.
Gary Bennett MBE received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Sunderland in recognition of his outstanding achievements as a footballer, coach and anti-racism advocate.
Gary made 443 appearances for Sunderland Football Club between 1984 and 1995. Gary became only the second black player to play for Sunderland. He went on to appear in the 1985 Football League Final, and the 1992 FA Cup Final.
While still playing for Sunderland, Gary joined the Show Racism the Red Card campaign. It was a decision that would change the course of his life.
The chair of the northeast Japanese Women’s Association Sayoko Smith has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Sunderland. The nomination has been made in recognition of Sayoko’s valued contribution to the region and beyond.
Read more about Sayoko's story.
A life-changing move from the Philippines to the UK at seven years old has inspired budding artist Anna-Marie Gallares to create a rich tapestry of her life and journey for the MA Degree Show.
Read more about the story behind Anna-Marie's work.
The University of Sunderland is not just life-changing for students here in the UK, as around 40 students graduated at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, while nearly 150 students at the Banking Academy Vietnam celebrated their graduations.
Read more about our Vietnamese graduates.
Fashion Design and Promotion graduate Hulya Anefi was shortlisted for The Real Leather, Stay Different, UK Student Design Competition 2022. Hulya’s entry took inspiration from the traditional garments of her home country, Romania.
Read more about Hulya's story.
Student teachers at the University of Sunderland took the first steps to help Ukrainian refugees living in the city, with free English language classes.
Read more about the scheme.
A University of Sunderland business graduate from Vietnam made the finals of the British Council Study UK Alumni Awards. Nguyen Phuong Dung graduated from the University with a BA (Hons) Business and Management in 2016.
Read more about Yung's story.
Our London campus also raised awareness for equality and inclusion for those from different backgrounds.
As part of Black History Month, our colleagues in London spoke to staff and Student Ambassadors to find out why they think Black History Month is important and how they see it developing going forward.
All staff at our London campus were given the opportunity to participate in the second edition of the Global Mentoring Programme with London Higher.
This programme aims to enhance career progression for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic staff by pairing mentees with mentors from different institutions, fostering collaboration across London, and providing mentees with tailored support from their mentors.
The feedback we received from all participants was overwhelmingly positive, and we're currently participating in the third edition for 2023/24.
We welcome feedback on equality, diversity, and inclusion.
Please contact our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team, inclusion@sunderland.ac.uk or the Students' Union at yoursu@sunderland.ac.uk.
